Anticancer And Antioxidant Properties Of Vernonia Amygdalina

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Medicinal properties of plants have been investigated throughout the world due to their potent pharmacological activities, no side effects and economic viability. Although the documentation of therapeutic potential of plant material is limited, traditional medicine has been integrated into the National health delivery system in Ghana. Vernonia amygdalina posseses phytochemicals that exhibit anticancer properties. This led to the determination of the prevalence of use, antioxidant and anticancer properties of Vernonia amygdalina.

Methods: This study was conducted at Lekma Hospital, Dodowa District Hospital and Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR). Data was collected by administering semi-structured questionnaires to 359 patients and Health staffs using systematic random sampling method. Antioxidant activity of VA and Cytotoxic effect of VA extracts against Jurkat, MCF-7, HepG2 and Chang liver cells were determined using 2,2, diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 3,4,5-(dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay respectively. Data was analysed using Microsoft excel and Stata version 13.0.The correlation between % antioxidant activity and concentration was determined using linear regression. P-values were determined by chi-square and student t-test.

Results: A total of 359 Patients and Health workers participated in the study with a mean age of 39±1.33 years, made up of 73.4% females. Seventy-six percent of the study participants accept the usefulness of traditional medicine and the prevalence of the use of VA was 53.1%. Majority of the respondents were Christians (95.5%) whiles the others were Islamic and Traditionalist from five ethnic groups in Ghana. The use of VA was significantly associated with ethnicity and educational level with p values of 0.008, and 0.004, respectively.

ix

The laboratory analysis focused on the root, leaves and a mixture of the root, leaves and lime juice extracts of VA which is mostly used by the Participants in the treatment of cancer. The mixture of the leaves and the lime juice extract exhibited the best free radical scavenging activity with an EC50 value of 2.14 ± 0.06mg/ml. All extracts were cytotoxic towards MCF, HepG2, Jurkat and Chang cell lines in a dose dependent manner (0-1000μg/mL). The mixture of the leaves and the lime extract was active against all the tested cell lines with its strongest inhibition against Jurkat (IC50 value = 96.341μg/mL) and Chang (IC50 value = 90.97 μg/mL).

Conclusion: The study population has a good knowledge about VA with high prevalence of use. Ethnicity and educational level was significantly associated with the use of VA. The combination of the VA and lime juice extract exhibited a good antioxidant property and it is effective in inhibiting Jurkat cell lines however its selectivity index is poor.